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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · cue · trunk · mark · capital · nail · hide · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. capital — a city
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. net — in sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fine — all right
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — for catching
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com